Potent Anti-Inflammatory: Surprising Benefits of Curry Powder
Curry powder is a mixture of spices with a bright golden hue and a complex flavor.
It can be made with a variety of spices, usually including turmeric, coriander, cumin, fenugreek, and chili pepper. Other common additions are ginger, black pepper, mustard seeds, curry leaves, andg fennel seeds.
Curry powder may offer a variety of health benefits due to the numerous healthful spices it contains
Potent anti-inflammatory properties
Being that curry powder is packed with spices like turmeric, coriander, and chili pepper, it’s no wonder that this seasoning has been shown to provide anti-inflammatory benefits.
Turmeric, one of the main spices in the blend, contains a pigment called curcumin. Curcumin is well known for its ability to fight inflammation by regulating inflammatory proteins, such as interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha).
In fact, both human and animal research have shown turmeric and isolated curcumin to relieve symptoms of inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and inflammatory bowel disease.
Other spices commonly found in curry powder, including chili pepper and coriander, offer anti-inflammatory effects as well.
Chili peppers contain a compound called capsaicin that acts as a powerful anti-inflammatory force.
Coriander has been used as an anti-inflammatory agent in traditional medicine practices since ancient times, and research in rodents suggests that treatment with this spice may reduce symptoms of inflammatory bowel diseases .
Still, more studies are needed to confirm this effect in humans.
Curry powder contains a variety of anti-inflammatory spices, including turmeric, coriander, and chili powder.